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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. face — part of the head
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. stock — shares
  8. face — to point toward
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. face — to confront
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. season — of the year
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com